Sherlock Gnomes is a good movie and a better sequel than the original. The film does a nice job of introducing younger viewers to the character and concept of Sherlock Holmes and provides a nice balance of humor, action, mystery, and suspense.
The characters from MGM’s Gnomeo & Juliet are back for another adventure! Featuring the same cast as the first movie, the gnomes are now settling into their new home in London. When gnomes start disappearing, it’s up to Sherlock Gnomes to solve the mystery and save the day!
Here’s the official description of Sherlock Gnomes from MGM:
Out of the Garden, into the Great UnGnome!
Get ready for a phe-gnome-nal adventure inside the secret world of garden gnomes! When Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) discover their friends and family have gone missing, there’s only one gnome to call – the legendary detective Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp). Working together, the mystery takes them beyond the garden walls and across the city on an unforgettable journey to save the day and bring the gnomes home. From the director of Kung Fu Panda and featuring new music from Elton John, Bernie Taupin and Mary J. Blige, Sherlock Gnomes is the fun-filled, family comedy of the year!
Sherlock Gnomes is actually better than the original Gnomeo & Juliet movie. Sure, it’s predictable and a little silly. It still has the puns and censors like “Fudge bucket!” and “Oh fertilizer!” Unlike its predecessor, though, the sequel doesn’t spend too much time on the joke that the characters are all gnomes or lawn ornaments. This movie has a variety of jokes for all ages and focuses more time on plot and character development. It’s a better balance of humor and action and an overall better movie.
A majority of the cast from the first film returns with James McAvoy and Emily Blunt providing the voices of lead characters Gnomeo and Juliet. Also returning are Matt Lucas, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, and Maggie Smith. Joining the cast are Johnny Depp, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mary J. Blige, and Jamie Demetriou as Sherlock Gnomes, Dr. Watson, Irene Adler, and Moriarty respectively.
The story kicks off with a welcome from the gnome “goons.” These three high-pitched gnomes whose bodies are nearly lost under their tall pointy hats provide the opening narration and context for the movie. They’re full of pop culture references and gnome puns such as “Game of Gnomes.” The gnome goons are similar in use to Despicable Me’s minions. They share the legend of a gnome who is the sworn protector of London’s gnomes – Sherlock Gnomes!
Viewers are taken to a museum where Sherlock and Dr. Watson must save a group of hostages from the evil Moriarty. Whereas Sherlock and Watson are both garden gnomes, Moriarty is some kind of a rubber, pie-shaped baby doll . . . it’s weird. After a standoff, Sherlock defeats Moriarty, and Watson saves the hostages. But is this the last they’ve seen of Moriarty?
Jamie Demetriou voices an entertaining and captivating Moriarty. The shape of the character is odd, but the personality is fun. He’s clearly having a great time teasing Sherlock and scaring the hostages, and it’s hard not to enjoy his screen time. There’s something reminiscent of Andrew Scott’s take on the character from the BBC Sherlock series. This movie’s take on the character of Sherlock is more along the Basil Rathborne line, and his tall frame, sharp nose, and hat come almost straight from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original works.
Meanwhile, the gnomes viewers know from the first movie are moving to a new garden in the city. As soon as the humans are away, the gnomes climb out of their bubble-wrap and packaging and begin to explore their new home. The gnomes and other lawn ornaments (including a very disgruntled fawn voiced by Ozzy Osborne!) are not impressed at all. Juliet tries to convince them that the new garden is simply a “fixer-upper,” but Gnomeo tells her he is happy in any garden as long as he’s with her. With the king and queen preparing to hand their crowns down to Gnomeo and Juliet and winter quickly approaching, Juliet begins to stress about the garden.
The movie draws an interesting parallel between both Sherlock and Juliet and also Watson and Gnomeo. Neither Sherlock nor Juliet seem to have respect or time for their partners. They’re very much Type-A leaders and bosses who don’t really want to hear other opinions or options. Watson and Gnomeo, meanwhile, are both seen attempting to help only to be ignored or belittled. Sherlock cannot see the value and importance of Watson, and Juliet doesn’t have time for Gnomeo or his romantic efforts.
In an attempt to make a big gesture, Gnomeo tries to get Juliet her favorite flower from a nearby floral store. The mission is unsuccessful and only drives the couple further apart. After fighting, Gnomeo and Juliet return to the garden to realize that all of their family and friends are missing. How will they find their loved ones? There’s only one gnome for the job!
The movie continues the character parallels it showed earlier by pairing Sherlock with Juliet and Watson with Gnomeo. The characters are able to see their own flaws in their new friends and learn from each other’s mistakes. These pairings really lead to some strong positive character development for all four characters.
Along their journey, the characters encounter many references and nods to some of Doyle’s most famous Sherlock stories, including The Hound of the Baskervilles. Notable characters from the novels also appear including a cameo from Mrs. Hudson. Irene is given an entire musical number and proves important in helping to solve the mystery.
Locations from many of Doyle’s stories are adapted and animated to fit the film. Check out the special feature All Roads Lead To Gnome to learn more about how the animators incorporated real, iconic London locations into the film.
The movie’s writers take the character of Sherlock a bit more seriously than they do their other gnomes. Sherlock is very similar to the Sherlock Holmes presented in the stories. He’s arrogant and unaware of Watson really. Viewers are shown inside Sherlock’s mind palace. Here, that palace is a black-and-white aside where many Sherlocks run around at once sorting information and solving problems.
The references to the original stories coupled with a soundtrack of Elton John’s most well-known hits (no joke) actually works for this movie. The song selections help keep up the energy and pace and don’t feel too forced or out of place. Older viewers will probably recognize hits like “Bennie and the Jet” and “Crocodile Rock,” but may not know some of his less popular songs or new music used for the film.
The overall story has the usual family film issues – convenient plot points, predictable twists, improbable athletic skill from the characters, but then again, they are gnomes, so . . . The story is more intense than the one presented in the original film, but the plot never becomes too serious for or demanding of its intended younger audience. It’s just a fun, entertaining movie. All in all, Sherlock Gnomes is a good movie and a better sequel than the original.
Special Features
1. Gnome Is Where The Heart Is (7:00) – Members of the cast share updates on their characters, reminders of how the previous movie ended, and what it’s like to have only their voices recorded.
2. All Roads Lead To Gnome: London Locations In Sherlock Gnomes (3:10) – Learn how research and reference photos of real places throughout London were used to animate many of the movies locations.
3. Gnome Wasn’t Built In A Day: The Design And Art Of Sherlock Gnomes (5:58) – This segment explains how the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes was adapted into the animated Sherlock Gnomes.
4. Miss Gnomer: Mary J. Blige And The Music Of Sherlock Gnomes (4:08) – Mary J. Blige (and Elton John!) discuss the role of music in the movie and the three new songs written for it.
5. Stronger Than I Ever Was (4:05) – This music video for the movie’s featured song contains clips from other scenes.
6. Animating Sherlock Gnomes (1:36) – Learn how an animated film goes through storyboarding, blocking, animation and movement, pre-lighting, and final lighting before it’s complete.
7. How to Draw – Head character designer Gary Dunn teaches you how to sketch the following characters:
• Sherlock Gnomes (5:11)
• Watson (5:05)
• Moriarty (5:05)
• Goons (3:19)
There are a lot of entertaining and unique features included in this release. With Elton John as one of the main producers, it was no surprise to see the number of features dedicated to the film’s soundtrack. It was nice to see the Rocket Man himself make an appearance in one of these features. From the depiction of London to the animation of the characters, this release spends a lot of time explaining its art and animation techniques, and the How to Draw feature is easy to follow. Gnome Wasn’t Built In A Day looks at how the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes and many of his greatest adventures were adapted into an animated family film. All in all, it’s a strong set of features that should have something to interest all viewers.
Takeaway
Again, Sherlock Gnomes is better than the original Gnomeo and Juliet movie. Not only is it funnier, there is far more character development and a much stronger plot line. The film does a nice job of introducing younger viewers to the character and concept of Sherlock Holmes and provides a nice balance of humor, action, mystery, and suspense. All in all, Sherlock Gnomes is an excellent family adventure film!
